New set of traditions to greet Hawks in Boston

Fan Banner, fist-pumping anthem get raucous crowd going at TD Garden

June 16, 2013|By Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune reporter

BOSTON — Torey Krug can be forgiven for not having a favorite Bruins game tradition.

In the five home games he has played at TD Garden in the last two months, the defenseman has been a little more concerned with making his playoff debut. But the "Oooo" from the crowd when calling out the first name of goaltender Tuukka Rask — and occasionally Krug's last name — has made an impression.

"You can hear it during games, and they're very loud," Krug said of the crowd at TD Garden, an 18-year-old arena that seats 17,565 for hockey. "It's incredible how loud this building is compared to other buildings around the league."

The Bruins seemed genuinely excited to play in front of their fans in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Blackhawks on Monday night. For Chicagoans who, like Krug, still are getting to know the Bruins' rituals, director of marketing Chris DiPierro helped map out some of the traditions that will be showcased as the finals hit Boston.

The Fan Banner: A giant flag with the Bruins logo known as the Bruins Fan Banner has been passed around the lower section in a wave-like movement during playoff games since 2009. During the 2011 Stanley Cup season, the team implemented the Fan Banner Captains, usually Bruins alumni who waved a smaller flag on the ice as the banner made its way around the arena.

This postseason, the captains have been associated with the "Boston Strong" theme in support of the victims of the marathon bombings in April. The 2013 captains have included both injured people and those who helped aid them.

A proud anthem: Perhaps the most moving moment in this NHL season was when the crowd at TD Garden took over singing the national anthem at the first home game after the bombings. A tuxedo-clad Rene Rancourt has since resumed singing the anthem in full, just as he has since 1976, and he finishes performances with a signature fist pump.

A pregame stop: Before entering the Garden, hockey fans often stop at the statue of Bruins great Bobby Orr, which was unveiled in 2010. The bronze statue depicts Orr's flying celebration after he scored the winning goal in overtime against the Blues to clinch the Stanley Cup in 1970.

Musical celebrations: Post-goal music often adds to celebrations, and the Bruins rely upon the popular stadium song "Kernkraft 400" by Zombie Nation. (You'd probably know it if it you heard it.)

"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys also can be heard, and "Dirty Water" by the Standells accompanies wins.

Forward Tyler Seguin is expecting a festive crowd to accompany the music in his team's homecoming.

"There's a general buzz in the city, a Stanley Cup fever, that makes it an incredible time to play hockey," Seguin said. "There's definitely that buzz around the city."